New Futures, Options Marts Okd

January 05, 1985

Three federal agencies gave a stamp of approval to new futures and options markets in a study sent to Congress. Congress in 1982 ordered the Securities and Exchange Commission, Commodity Futures Trading Commission and Federal Reserve Board to conduct the study because of the growth of trading in new financial instruments, such as stock-index futures and options. The new contracts are similar, but regulated by different agencies, the SEC and the CFTC. However, no new legislation is needed to coordinate the regulation of futures and options markets, the study shows.